Deuteronomy 32 read, or if I
read it, I remember a sermon that Tim James preached over
on American Avenue, that's how long ago it was, entitled Doctrine. And I don't, I'd like to hear
it again, I don't know if we have any way of getting to it,
it was back in the days of cassette tapes, and I don't know, so,
but if you have a way to get, you ought to listen to it. If I would come up to a man who
had never heard the gospel and bring the message that I'm going
to attempt to bring to you this morning, unless God gave them
faith, if he didn't say it, he'd think
it. That is unbelievable. I've entitled the message for
this morning, Believing the Unbelievable. Now, somebody may say, why are
you expecting me to believe something that's unbelievable? Well, listen
to the message, I think, and you'll find out. Believing the
Unbelievable. Now, look back into our text
in verse 20. These are the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he says, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto you, that's the authority of God speaking,
I say unto you, whomsoever I sinned, receiveth
me. And he that receiveth me receiveth
him that sent me. Now there is such a thing as
Christ sending a man. There was a man sent of God. whose name was John. I repeat, there is such a thing
as Christ sending a man. He begins this with, Verily,
verily, truly, truly, he that receiveth whomsoever I send receives
me. This one that I send does not
come in his own name. Literally, I sent him. That's a sobering thought, isn't
it? That there is someone that Christ
himself has sent. He doesn't speak in his own name
or his own authority. All he says is what I have given
him to say. No part of his message is of
him or from him. This is the description of this
person that Christ says, I send him. He speaks with the authority
of the one he represents, me. Is that not what an ambassador
is? It is. An ambassador He only speaks what the country
he represents tells him to speak. He's not negotiating. No negotiation
in the gospel. He's simply delivering the message
of the country he represents. If I'm an ambassador for the
United States of America, I only say what I'm told to say by the
government. I don't speak my own thoughts,
my own opinions. I speak what I'm instructed to
say. And if someone rejects it, it's not me they reject, but
the United States of America. Now that's what an ambassador
is. He doesn't bring his own message. He that receives the
one that I sent, the Lord says, receives me. And he that receives
me receives him that sent me. Listen to this scripture, Luke
chapter 10, verse 16. When he sent the 70 out to preach,
he said, he that heareth you, heareth me. Literally. He that heareth you, heareth
me. And he that despiseth you, despiseth
me. And he that despises me, despises
him that sent me. Now when I thought about what
the Lord said in verse 20, I was brought to think about 2 Corinthians
chapter 5, verse 20. Would you turn with me there?
This is where we're going to spend the rest of our time. 2 Corinthians
chapter 5, verse 20. Now then, now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ. That's the same thought that
I read from John chapter 13, verse when he said, he that receives
the one that I sent receives me. Now Paul says at this time
in verse 20, now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though
God did beseech you. Now that's a, that'll stop you in your tracks.
God beseeching you? What's that all about? Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's
stead. We're speaking as representatives
of him. Be ye reconciled to God. Here's why. For he hath made
him sin. Notice to be is in italics supplied
by the translators. Not in the original, for he hath
made him sin. For us, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now the one he sins is his ambassador. That's what the Bible says. I claim this morning that I'm
speaking as His ambassador and that this is not my word, but
His. It's not my doctrine, but His. Now, you got the Bible to check out
to see if what I'm saying is so. I would never believe somebody
to be an ambassador of Christ or an ambassador of God just
because they said, I'm his ambassador. Who are you? What makes you think
you could make a claim like that? As a matter of fact, it would
make me very skeptical of that person, and I would think they're
deceivers. But you've got the word of God to see if what I'm
saying is from God as an ambassador of God and the things which will
be said are so other that they're not proper
words to describe them. They're unbelievable. Believing the unbelievable. Now, if this is something you
could figure out, it's not true. Believing the unbelievable, these
are things that we would not and could not believe if they
were not in this book. Now, verse 16 of 2 Corinthians
chapter 5, let me say this too. Every believer is an ambassador
of Christ. If you're a believer, you are
an ambassador of Christ with a message to bring. This is not just talking about
the pastor. This is talking about every believer is an ambassador
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what is our message as ambassadors? Remember the Lord said, whosoever
receives the one I sent receives me. Now, what is this message
brought by the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ? And I
have no doubt that even if you're not speaking, you're going to
say, this is the message I bring. If you're one of his ambassadors,
you're going to be a complete agreement. This is the message. Now he says in verse 16, wherefore,
Henceforth know we no man after the flesh. From now on, we know no man according
to fleshly maxims and principles, worldly philosophy. And the Lord
said in Luke chapter 16, that which is highly esteemed among
men, is an abomination to God. We have some understanding of
that and we don't look at men in the light of how humans think. We know no man after the flesh. This is way above anything human. We know no man after the flesh
and we're not gonna treat men in a fleshly way according to
human ways of thinking. He says in verse 16, yea, though
we have known Christ after the flesh, we knew him as a man. We thought of him as a man, as
flesh, yet henceforth know we him no more. We know better than
that. He's the God man. He's not just
a man. He's God manifest in the flesh,
the word. who was with God and who was
God was made flesh. And we do not look at him as
a man the way we look at other men. He's the God man. Look what he says in verse 17.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become
new. In Christ. If any man be in Christ,
that is the issue of all issues. Am I in Christ? You see, God
is going to deal with you either in Adam or in Christ. In Adam, all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive. God's only dealt with two men,
Adam and Christ. You're going to be viewed in
Adam or you're going to be viewed In Christ, all of God's salvation
is in Christ. Paul said to the Ephesians, in
Ephesians chapter one, verse three, blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us
in Him. before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. In love, having predestinated
us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted. How? In the beloved. All of God's blessing, all of
God's salvation is in Christ. God will not speak to nor be
spoken to apart from his blessed son. If any man be in Christ, that's
where God's blessing is. in Christ. That's why Paul said
in Philippians chapter 3 verse 9, Oh that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. That's where I want to be found.
In Him so that when God looks at me all He sees is Jesus Christ
His Son. I don't want to be looked upon
independent of Him. I just want to be found in Him. That's it. That's it. He is all
that is relevant. He is all that counts in my acceptance
before God, Jesus Christ, the Lord. If any man be in Christ,
what Paul say, he is a new creature. He is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. A new creation. Now, before Genesis 1-1, there
was no creation. All there was was God. He dwelt
alone in the Trinity of his sacred persons, all three persons of
the Godhead delighting in one another. He wasn't lonely. He had no needs. He dwelt alone. And he willed creation. All of a sudden, there was something
there, the universe, the moon, the stars. that was not there
before. He created, ex nihilo, something
from nothing. I love to think about that, the
power of God in creating the universe. Now the same thing
happens in the new birth. Something is brought into existence
as a creative act of God, which was not there before. Now, was
man's free will involved in the first creation? You say, well,
that's ridiculous. I know it is. Was man's free
will involved in the second creation? No, it's a creative act of God. If you are a new creature in
Christ Jesus, God created you. You are his workmanship created
in Christ Jesus. Unto good works which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them. a new creation. You're something that you were
not before. Now, what does he mean when he
says, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things
are passed away. Behold, all things have become
new. What's that all about? Now, I would be deceitful and dishonest. if I told you that my old nature
has passed away. He's still there and he is just
as sinful and just as evil as he ever was. Last night I woke
up Sometime in the middle of the night and thought about my
own sinfulness and I was overwhelmed with it. The thought that I could
be so bad. The thoughts. That old man hadn't passed away.
And if I said he had, I would be deceitful. I'd be telling
you a lie. And if you tell me yours hadn't,
you're telling me a lie. He is still there. So what does he mean when he
says old things have passed away, behold, all things have become
new? Because there's something that
hadn't passed away. That's what Paul spoke of in Romans chapter
seven, isn't it? He said, oh, wretched man that I was. No, he didn't say that, did he? Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? That's every believer's experience.
So what does he mean then when he says old things are passed
away? Behold, all things have become new. Well, my old standing
of guilty before God has passed away. I now stand before God
without guilt. I have a new history. That old history, it's passed
away. I have a new history There's
no skeletons in my closet. Perfect obedience. Perfect righteousness. My old standing of guilty before
God has passed away. I have a new name. This is the
name wherewith she shall be called, the church, the Lord, our righteousness. Yes, it's the name he's called.
This is the name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our
righteousness. But this is my new name. This is the name wherewith
she shall be called the Lord our righteousness. I have a new
nature. Peter called it partakers of
the divine nature being birthed by the Spirit of God. I have
a new nature that was not there before. I have a new life. The Lord said, I am the way,
the truth, and the life. My life is His life. That's my
life before God. You are dead, and your life is
hid with Christ. And God, when Christ, who is
our life, shall appear, then shall you appear with Him in
glory. I love the term passed away. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creation. Old things have passed away.
What does that mean? Dead. Dead. Dead. Behold, all things have become
new. Isn't that wonderful to have
a new history? without guilt, having never sinned,
a perfect life before the living God in His sight. Old things
have passed away. They're gone. They're dead. They
are no more. You're dead! Your life is hid with Christ
in God. Now look at verse 18. And all
things are of God. Now what's meant
by all things? All things. That's easy enough,
isn't it? All things. God is the first
cause of everything. He's in control of everything.
And there's nowhere you can look where God is not all in that. He's in the context, all things
are of God in the new creation. So he's referring to all things
are of God in the new creation. If he may be in Christ, he's
a new creation, a new creature. Old things have passed away.
Behold, all things have become new and all things are of God.
Now, if you're a new creature, it didn't have anything to do
with you. It was his work. He did it all. If you're born again, it's because
he birthed you into the kingdom of God through his word. All things are of God. All things
are of God in creation. He created the universe as an
act of His will. All things are of God in providence.
He controls everything, the first cause behind every event. There's
nothing that happens without Him. Somebody says, how is that
so? Well, He's God. It's not difficult
for Him. He's all-powerful. And He's working
everything according to His will. And He does what only He can
do. He brings good out of evil. You say, how could God let that
happen? Quit talking that way. He's going to bring good out
of evil. Whatever He does is right, holy, just, and true.
All things are of God in salvation. He is the Savior. Now look what it says next in
verse 18. and all things are of God, who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation. Isn't it a blessing in this life
when people who were at odds become reconciled? Odds for whatever reason, they
become reconciled. They quit holding grudges and
they embrace one another, putting aside hurt feelings and pride
that keeps them from coming together. Reconciliation. It's a beautiful
thing. Life's too short to hold a grudge
and remain at odds. Life's too short. It's a beautiful
thing when people who were at odds are reconciled one to another. We love to think about that,
but the reconciliation he's talking about is not like that. It's
different. Hear me out. God did nothing to offend us. We did everything to offend him. And by nature, we don't even
want to be reconciled to him. But he reconciled us. full and complete reconciliation. Turn with me for a moment to
Romans chapter five. Hold your finger there in 2 Corinthians
five and turn to Romans five. Verse 10. For if when we were enemies, Enemies of God. Somebody says,
I'm not an enemy of God. Yeah, you are. Yeah, you are.
You might not be an enemy of the God you've concocted that
you're comfortable with, but the God of the Bible, the absolute
sovereign of the universe, every natural man is an enemy. of God. The carnal mind is enmity
with God. It's not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be. So in this reconciliation, we're
the ones at odd. God's done nothing to offend
us. We've done everything to offend
him, yet he's the one who does the reconciling. And look how
it is in verse 10. For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God, by the death of his son. How were you reconciled to God?
By Jesus Christ dying on the cross and putting away the reason
God had a reason to be mad at you. Your sin. He put it away
and he is reconciled. Colossians 1. I love the way the gospel is
called the ministry of reconciliation. Look in verse 20 of Colossians
chapter 1. And having made peace through the blood of his cross
by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven and you that were sometime
or for time alienated. enemies in your mind by wicked
works yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through
death to present you," How reconciled? To present you holy and unblameable
and reproofable in his sight. And let me remind you how he
sees things is how they are. You say, I don't feel wholly
unblameable and unapproved. Well, I don't either, but I am
in his sight because of what Christ accomplished in my behalf. That is why the gospel is called
the ministry of reconciliation. Now let's go back to second Corinthians
chapter five. All things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us
the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, namely, here's what it
is. That God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. How? Not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation. That's what the ambassador for
Christ brings, this word of reconciliation. God was in Christ because Christ
is God. Amen. God was in Christ because
Jesus Christ is God. And here's what God was doing
in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. Does that mean all
men without exception? Well, as long as there's a hell,
that doesn't mean all men without exception. God's not reconciled
to that one in hell, nor is that one in hell reconciled to Him.
But I still love the way he uses the word the world. Christ is
the savior of the world. God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son. God was reconciling the world
to himself. That world that hated him, that
had no love for him, he did it all. God reconciled the world
to himself. Now how did he do that? by not
imputing their trespasses to them. Now, hold on. How's that
right? If someone murders your child
and is brought before the judge, and the judge says, well, I'm
not going to impute that to you, I'm not going to impute that
trespass to you, what do we got? A wicked, unjust judge. How can God be just and not impute
my sins to me when I've committed them? How is that? I can answer that question. He took my sin to himself and
put it away so that there's no sin for God to impute to me.
That's why he doesn't impute my sin to me. There's nothing
for him to repute, impute. Christ put it away. It's gone. He by himself purged,
cleansed, put away our sins. Keep your finger in 2 Corinthians
5 and turn to Romans chapter 4. Verse four, now to him that worketh
is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. In other
words, if you have any bearing in your salvation, if you're
saved because of anything you've done, that means God owes you
salvation. It's not grace, it's him paying
to you what he owes you. But, verse five, to him that
worketh not, Would that describe you? You understand that if salvation
is dependent upon you in any measure to any degree, you're
toast. You understand that. Works won't work for you. To
him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness And here's what all this means,
even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without work, saying, blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Back to our text in 2 Corinthians
chapter 5. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and
hath committed to us the word, the message, the gospel message
of Reconciliation. Oh, this is so much different
than human reconciliation. Like I said, we love human reconciliation. We love that. It ought to be. But this is different. The one
who was offended took away the offense. This is where this reconciliation
comes from. Him removing his reason for anger. Now look what Paul says in verse
20. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ. And this is how we began this
message. Whoso receiveth the one that I sent, receives me."
Now Paul is speaking as an ambassador of Christ and this is what every
believer is an ambassador of. The message of Christ. The message
of reconciliation. Now look what he says. Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you
by us we pray you in Christ's name be ye reconciled to God. Be ye Reconcile to God. He's reconciled
to you. You be reconciled to him. Another word for this is repent. All your thoughts, your wrong
thoughts about God are wrong. You think he's harsh? You think
he's got something against you? And you, anytime you think somebody's
got something against you, you bear up. perhaps unconscious
grudge against them. It's not all right. Paul says,
all reasons for you having something against him have been removed. He's reconciled toward you. You
be reconciled to him. Quit arguing about him. Quit
sitting in judgment on him, saying, how could this be fair for God
to do this or not do that? How could this? Stop it. You
be reconciled to God. Throw down your objections. They're
no good. He's answered every one of them. God is completely reconciled
with you. He's completely pleased with
you. You are perfect and holy in His
sight. Now that's true of everybody
He's reconciled. You be reconciled to Him. Now, listen to me. Jesus Christ is pleased with
everybody He died for. He's pleased with all of His
elect. They're holy, unblameable, and
unreprovable in His sight. Now I want you to understand
this. There's only one reason that
God is pleased with me, Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ makes God pleased
with me. All that is relevant in my salvation
is Jesus Christ alone, nothing else. And that makes the holy
living God pleased with me. If you really believe that, you're
going to see that your reasons for hostility toward him and
your attitude of, why is he letting this happen? He's being too hard
on me. He's got something against me. He's going to vanish. Be
ye. reconciled to God. And here's why. Verse 21, for
he hath made him sin for us who knew no sin that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now remember how
I entitled this message, Believing the Unbelievable? Would you believe
that you could be the righteousness of God without this written in
his word? Believing the Unbelievable. For he, the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, hath made him sin, for us, the one who had no love
for him, who had nothing but hostility toward him. He hath
made him sin for us, the one who knew no sin. That's why he
sweat great drops of blood. He was getting ready to know
it in all of its guilt and shame. Now, that doesn't mean he became
sinful on the cross or he started committing sins on the cross.
Worse. He was made sin. What all that means I couldn't
possibly describe. But he was made sin for us who
knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God
in him. You see, the sins of the elect
became his sins. He became guilty of them. And
here's how real this great transaction was and is. Is Jesus Christ the
righteousness of God? Is he? Do you believe he is the
righteousness of God? Oh, I know he is. And just as
he is the righteousness of God, he was made sin. I wish I had the words to describe
the horror of that. That's why I cried out from the
cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Because he
was made sin. Why that we might be made not
a righteousness equal to God's, but the righteousness of God
in him. Somebody says, that's unbelievable. Yeah, I get it. I get it. But you know what? If it was
something you could grasp, it wouldn't even be true. This is
the mystery of the gospel. Every believer is made the righteousness
of God. Believe the unbelievable. I am because of what Christ did
for me. I am the very righteousness of
God. And when I say that, it scares
me. It scares me. I'm not saying that flippantly,
but this is the heritage of every believer. Now, that being the
case, be reconciled to God. It's all good, isn't it? It's
all good. Throw down any objections you
have because he has no objections with you. He is completely reconciled
to you. He is pleased with you. Did you hear that? He is pleased
with you. Be pleased with him. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the
glorious gospel of thy dear son. How we thank you for the word
of reconciliation. How we thank you that you've
reconciled yourself to us through the death of your son. And Lord,
I ask in Christ's name that everybody in this room might be reconciled toward you
because of what you have done in reconciling them to yourself. Bless this word for Christ's
sake. And Lord, we once again ask for
your blessing on Vacation Bible School this week. We pray for
your blessing upon it that you'd reveal yourself. In Christ's
name we pray.